Meter cover



Oct. 24, 1933 w G, us 1,932,044

METER COVER Filed March 18, 193.2

INVENTOR M ATT EY WITNESSES:

Patented Q6424, A it A t r UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs METER covsn -Walter G. 'Mylius, Summit, N. J.', assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Com- .pany, a corporation ofPennsylvania H Application March s, 193;. ,SerlalNo. 599,':oo. 9 Claims. (01. I'll-534) My invention relates to meter covers and par- Figured of the accompanying drawing is a.- ticularly to glass coversfor. watthour'meters. side view, in section, of the meter cover of myv One object of my invention is to provide a invention, taken along the line I-I of Fig. 2, protective base or mounting means for a meter and a base with which it cooperates, inelevation.

cover of cup or bowl shape and-having side walls Fig. 2is a bottom-plan view. of the cover of 50 constituted of glass or similar material. Fig. 1, the base being'removedand- Another object of my invention is to;provide Fig. -3 is an enlarged detailview of a portion novel means for connecting a pair of rings conof the device as shown in Fig. l. I stituting a composite base for a meter cover. A cover. element of glass or other frangible ma- Another object of myinvention is to preserve terial that is transparent, or partially trans- 5 finished surf-aces against marring, as heretofore parent and. partially translucent or opaque, is of effected by spot-welding on such surfaces in a substantially. cup-shape preferably having meter cover. tegral end and sidewalls 2 and 4,.respectively, as

Another object of my invention is to provide a shown. The walls Zandimaybe o! diiferent ma meter cover including a glass member that, in terials. and othermse-joined, sincethe main 70 contra-distinction to a usual similar cover having consideration of my invention is the support and weakened sections in the form of notchesior protection of a cover of substantialiy cup-shape assisting in holding the cover in position, shall having a substantially tubular side wall of less have portions of increased thicknessand strength resistance to breakage than metal at its open end.

included in the holding means. 1 I I The-side wall 4 is provided, adjacent to its open 7 A further object of my invention is to provide end with an outwardly extending. perimetral .a meter cover that shall be simple and durable flange 6v having'diametrally opposite thickened inconstruction, econcmicalto manufacture and portions 'or lugs 8v that alsoextendaoutwardly. efiectivein its operation. a 1 A reinforcing and protective ring-like'structure A modern watthouror other integrating meter on the flange 6 comprises component outer and 530 for household and industrial; applications eminner rings 10' and 12, respectively, that are prefbodies a base for mounting on a wall, a meter erably of pressed sheetmetal. mechanism on the base and a cover of substan- The outer ring 10 is flanged to fit the inner tially cup-shape covering the front end and sides transverse surface and the outer longitudinal surof the meter. 3 g face of the flange 6. The ring 10 also has porg5 Certain of these coversv are of sheet metalhavtions 14 receiving and embracing the ends and ing glass windows and others are almost entirely sides of'the lugs 8 to prevent relative movement of glass except. for a protective mounting rim between the cup and the ring about the longiabout the open end thereof adjacent to the meter tudinal axis of; the cup, and downward longibase. v I v I tudinal movement of thering on the cup, as

. In a cover of the latter type,it has been. usual viewed in the drawing. A portion of the ring 10 to employ a metal rim having lugs for cooperaclosely interflts a portion 'of the inner ring 12, tion with recesses in'the glass side walls to preas shown. vent turningof the rim relative to the glass-cover. The inner ring 12 isflanged to provide angu- 40 The recesses in the walls weaken the latter .at larly related sections engaging, respectively, the a position where strength is important, since the edge of-the glass cup and the lower or extended weight of the cover is imposed on the glass at this portion of the outer ring 10. A portion of the position and, where the cover is connected to the inner ring 12 isprovided with perimetrally spaced base by a bayonet joint, it is subjected to tor- 'openingsor recesses'18 in which indentations or 45 sional forces, with the result that breakage vfreprojections 20 on'the outer ring 10' are disposed.

quently occurs. The recesses '18 may be in the outer ring 10 and It is my aim to overcome this objection and to theindentations 20in the inner ring 12.

otherwise improve m ter covers of the above- In assembling the rings 10 and 12 on the cup indicated type. the outer ring 10 is telescopically fitted over the 50 Accordingly, in practicing my invention, incup to its position on the flange; about the lugs stead of recesses, I provide lugs which thicken 8, and the inner ring 12 is telescopically moved and reinforce the glass wall at its holding position, into engagementwith the inner end of the glass and other features which enhance the general cover and the exposed inner surface of the ring efliciency, manufacturing facility, durability and 10. After this operation, theouter ring is in- 55 neatness oi the structure. dented opposite the recesses 18 to provide the locking projections 20. Films 22 of gum or other substance may be provided between the adjacent glass and metal surfaces and the rings 10 and 12 related thereto and to the flange 8 with sufficient clamping force to hold the parts securely in position.

An annular gasket 24, of felt or other material, may be secured, as by adhesive material or otherwise, to the inner ring or to a base member 26.

The base member 26, per se,constitutes no part of my present invention and is of any suitable material and shape, preferably in the general form of a disk closely fitted into the bottom of the cover. It is provided with bridge-like elements 28 projecting upwardly therefrom. Portions 30 of the inner ring 12 are placed under cross pieces 32 of the bridges 28 for locking the cover and base together against longitudinal displace-- ment.

The portions 30, constituting integral extensions of the inner ring are so proportioned that they move under the bridge pieces 32 upon relative turning of the cover and base, and in order to insure a resilient and secure fitting, the holding surface of the portions 30 may be inclined slightly downwardly in the direction of rotation of the cover.

In torsionally turning the cover relative to the base to lock and unlock the same, substantial stress is sometimes placed on the glass cover, particularly in unlocking these parts when they have been locked for a long time and have become corroded or otherwise firmly held to each other.

Where, as in the past, the perimetral lock between the glass cover andJits protective'metal rim included a recessed section of the glass wall and metal projections in the recess or recesses, the torsional force is more apt to fracture the glass than'where this glass is thickened or reinforced as by the lugs 8.

Further, it has been customary-to spot weld rings similar to the rings 10, and 12 to each other, which procedure destroys the finish thereof at the points of weld and encourages corrosion. Securing the rings to each other by the recesses 18 and the projections'20 preserves the finish of the metal-parts and provides a simpler method 0 assembly.

The open end of the glass cup is further protected from chipping at any point thereabout by the metal rings and'the device results in a substantial improvement in the art to which it relates.

While I have shown and described a particular form of my invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit. and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying an outwardly extending perimetral flange provided with diametrally-opposite outwardly projecting lugs, a flanged sheet-metal ring embracing sides of said flange and having portions to receive and embrace said lugs, said ring extending axially of the cup beyond the open end thereof, inwardly extending projections perimetrallyspaced on the extended portion of said ring and a second sheet-metal ring having portions fitting the edge of the cup and the inner surface of said extended portion, respectively, said second ring having spaced recesses for receiving the projections on said first ring.

2. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying a perimetral flange provided with a lug thereon, a flanged sheet-material ring embracing sides of said flange and having a portion to receive and embrace said lug, said ring extending axially of the cup beyond the open end thereof, and a second sheet-material ring having portions fitting the edge of the cup and the inner surface of said extended portion, respectively, one of said rings having a recess and the other having a projection in said recess.

3. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying a p'erimetral flange provided with a lug, a flanged sheet-material ring embracing sides of said flange and having a portion to receive and embrace said lug, said ring extending axially of the cup beyond the open end thereof, a second sheet-material ring having portions fitting the edge of the cup and the inner surface of said extended portion, and means including said extended portion for holding said rings together.

4. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying a perimetral flange, a flanged sheet-material ring embracing sides of said flange, means securing said ring against perimetralturning relative to the cup, said ring extending away from thecup, and a second sheet-material ring having portions fitting the edge of said cup and a surface of said extended portion, respectively, one of said rings having perimetrally-spaced recesses and the other having projections in said recesses.

5. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying a perimetral flange and a lug thereon, a sheet material ring embracing sides of said flange, said ring perimetrally interlocking said lug, and a second sheet-material ring having a portion fitting the edge of the cup and ,a portion secured to the first ring. Iv

6. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying alug adjacent to the open end thereof, a pair of rings embracing said end, one of the rings perimetrally interlocked the lug,.and means holding the rings in position.

7. A meter cover comprising a cup embodying a lug adjacent to the open end thereof and a ring-like structure constituting a protective base for said end secured thereto in perimetral interlocking relation to said lug.

8. A meter cover comprising a cup and a protective base for the open end thereof including a pair of rings having, respectively, a plurality of perimetrally-spaced recesses and a plurality of projections in said recesses for holding the rings together.

9. In'combination a meter cover comprising a cup embodying a perimetral flange around the open edge, a flanged sheet-material ring embracing sides of said flange and havinga portion extending away from the cup, a second sheet-material ring having portions fitting the edge of said cup and a surface of said extended portion, means including said extended portion for fastening said rings together, a base plate, rotatably interlock- 140 able means for securing the cover to the base plate comprising portions extending from said selgond ring and cooperating means on said base p te.

WALTER G. MYLIUB. 

